Avoid the dreaded mis-shift

[Gunter]

Always hated the sloppy neutral position and installed a very simple long spring on the side of the shift tower: One side hooks into the whole in the shift tower, the other side is fastened with a small hose clamp to the shift lever. That way, the spring keeps the lever on the 3-4 plane. The spring is about 1/4 dia., ~5 inches long. Has worked fine for two years now. Or you can buy the kit for $200-something.

[howiee]

Would you happen to have a picture of this set-up?

Sounds pretty good.

[ajackson]

Sounds like a kit in the making...

If you could find exact part numbers or dimensions for everything you used and write up a brief description with a couple pics I'm sure everyone would love it.

[anthony]

One could get a Rennshift shifter. I think Pelican now sells them.

http://www.rennshift.com/mainpage.htm

[ajackson]

The Rennshift shifter goes in the $400-something category.

[cstreit]

Sherwoods at www.seinesystems.com is less expensive and does the trick... Also includes a 1-2 gate

[creaturecat]

a hose clamp and a spring - seems pretty inexpensive to me. how about a picture Gunter?

[Gunter]

Don't have a digital camera. Just take the boot off and look at the shift tower. It has a hole on the right side. Hook up a ~1/4 inch dia. spring in that hole which is about 5 inches long going up to the lever. Fasten the spring to the shift lever with a small hose clamp making sure that the spring has just enough tension to hold the lever to the right on the 3-4 plane against the 5th & reverse barrier. This is not a lock, it just keeps the lever from flopping around in the neutral center and is a reminder not to go into the 1-2 plane accidentally. It does not hinder any of the shifting and is covered by the rubber boot. Look at the shift tower assembly and think; it'll come to you. Of course, if you want something more secure, a few hundred Dollars is still a lot cheaper than bent valves. Cheers.

[Joe Bob]

I got the WEVO for a good price...1/2 is springed as well as 5/R.....AND it is a shorter throw.

[Wil Ferch]

Hmm....maybe the shift tower has a hole on the left side ( didn't look recently..maybe we can drill one) and do the same thing for the 1-2 plane...ending up with 2 opposing springs.....same hose clamp, though).

This would hold things in a relatively neutral place....like the 3-4 plane.

Would this work?

Wil

[Gunter]

Wil: It wouldn't work because the left spring, 1-2, would cancel out the action of the right spring, 3-4. My desire is to hold the lever spring-loaded on the 3-4 plane as a reminder/help to avoid 1-2. I find that, once you roll, most shifting is 3-4-5. Many other cars with the H-shift pattern, have this spring load, like my Volvo. It's one of those misteries why Porsche could not have done something to avoid the disasterous mis-shift due to the sloppy mid-position of the lever. Not being a racer, my spring set-up serves me, because I am a cautious shifter, especially with the 915-xmission. But, anyone going racing with the 911, needs to go with something like www.seinesystems.com or similar. For $ 150.- it's cheap vs. a damaged engine. Cheers.

[Wil Ferch]

Gunther:
You say..." Wil: It wouldn't work because the left spring, 1-2, would cancel out the action of the right spring, 3-4. ..."

Ahh...maybe not.....if both springs were of equal strength..and were mounted in identical fashion ( mirror image)....then the "neutral" point would be the 3-4 plane...or at least very, very, close......

We ARE talking about 915 boxes...right , with a 1-2 plane, a 3-4 plane and a 5-reverse plane...right? Two opposing springs would plant you near 3-4...no?

Wil

[masraum]

Wil, I see what you are saying, having 2 springs should hold the thing in the center when they find equilibrium, and also give a little tension away from 5/r. I didn't have a 915, but it seems what Gunter is saying is that there's a little detent to get through to get into the 5/R plane that his one spring holds the shifter against. If that's true then you wouldn't have to have the second spring, but you'd also find that the shifter wanted to stay in the 5/R plane if you put it there because the single spring is holding it there. The second spring is a good idea that should still hold the shifter in the center plane, but should also balance things out.

[Gunter]

The shifter will not stay in the 5/R with my set-up because the spring tension to overcome the 5/R-barrier is much stonger than the smaller fully coiled ~1/4 inch dia. spring I added. Anyone with a 915 knows how strongly the shifter pops out of 5/R. But, if anyone wants to experiment further, go for it. Whatever works for you; I want my shift lever to stay on the 3-4 plane.

[masraum]

Sounds like the left hand spring would be unnecessary if there is a push spring in the 5/R plane. Cool, fewer parts mean fewer parts to break or fail.